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laylaais: 2 years ago via iPhone

How was slavery vital to the economy of the United States? (1815-845)

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Answer 1

VirginiaL: 2 years ago | Last edited at 5:08PM on 1/9/2011

This is a little bit away from the focus of your question...but even now today people justify bad stuff by saying we HAVE to do it that way because of "economic feasibility."

But I remember seeing a PBS program on how slavery was ended in England, not through war but through the legal system. And economics was a big argument; however the judge that handed down the decision ending slavery in England wrote: "Let justice be done though the heavens may fall."

I saw that program probably 35 years ago now, but I still remember it and I believe it too. Slavery was NOT vital to the economy, it was intolerable to the human spirit of all.

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jes: 2 years ago via iPhone

Thank you for saying that & giving us all a bit of an education. Some may not get what you're trying to say.

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VirginiaL: 2 years ago

Good point, thanks...

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Answer 2

powwowprinting: 2 years ago

From what I know slavery was vital to the economy of the United States because that is how cotton fields were being maintained. Without the work of slaves there would not have been an economy.

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thewiseguy: 2 years ago

Slaves were a driving force producing cotton-for free! Much more pure profit when paying workers is not necessary

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evreed: 2 years ago via iPhone

Think immigration from Mexico. Less expensive workers more profit.

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Answer 5

ness: 2 years ago

Maintaining cotton field was one of the importances of slavery, but the invention of the cotton gin was a great outcome of it all. Before the cotton gin was created, slaves had to hand pick the cotton, which was really time consuming. After the cotton gin was invented slaves didn't have to work as hard, and produced twenty times more cotton. This made the demand for cotton high and made the economy a lot stronger since the trade of cotton caused a LOT of profit.

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